Helpless
by Burning Horizons
Summary: Yugi is small, weak, alone, and helpless. Helpless to do anything, even to stand up for himself. Can Yugi face his demons and find an escape from the hell he calls life? Or will he be trapped, with no way out, forcing him to go on the way he has been?
1. Chapter 1

Here we go… first Yu-Gi-Oh fic! Actually, I have a habit of writing one then not releasing it… so I actually decided to let it go this time :P

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh… or even sadder, I do not own Yugi… sadface anyway, enjoy the story! _xx_

_Alone…. I'm all alone… why does it have to be me..? How come I have to suffer like this..? Every day… and all the time… I have no one… not a single… person…_

Yugi hid inside a storage closet crouched into a ball on the floor, hugging his knees in and burying his face into them.

"Got any idea where the little runt ran off to?" Yugi heard someone say from beyond the safety of the closet door, making him hold his breath.

"Not a clue. He'll show up later. We can get him then." Said a different voice.

As the two voices got more distant and Yugi could no longer hold his breath, he exhaled and released his grip on his legs, crossing them and staring at the floor. He hung his head and raised his hand to the side of his head, wincing at the pain that enveloped under his touch. He lowered his hand again to look at it. _Not as much blood as last time, at least… _Those guys were brutal. Joey and Tristan. The two bullies of Domino high, constantly tormenting him, just because they thought it was fun. Every day, every time they catch a glimpse of Yugi, it's like they have to do _something _to him.

Shove him against the wall.

Lock him in a locker.

Throw a book at him.

Lift him up by the collar of his shirt and throw him to the ground.

Or their personal favorite, ram his head into the edge of something nearby. Why is it their favorite? Because occasionally, it makes Yugi bleed. Something about seeing their favorite little victim lose the luscious crimson needed to live made them feel bigger. For some reason, Yugi's blood made them feel like they were invincible. And often, it made Yugi feel that way too.

_Why can't I do anything about it…_ _how come I'm so helpless that I can't even stand up for myself… I'm sick of this… I'm so sick… _Yugi leaned back against the wall and slipped into a light sleep, hoping only to be woken by the sound of the bell that released him from one hell… to another.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A loud ring sent Yugi's eyes shooting open and his head ramming into a shelf as he quickly got up. He gritted his teeth and rubbed the top of his head, running his fingers through the rest of his hair, glad to feel that it was now dry. He rested his hand on the handle of the close door and let out a sigh before opening it, and slowly – cautiously – stepping out of the small refuge of a room and into the halls of his high school.

" Heyyyy, look who decided to show back up!" Yugi jolted around – eyes wide – to see Tristan and Joey, both a few yards away from him, fists balled and lightly tapping the palm of their opposite hands.

"We been looking all over for you all day, squirt." Taunted Joey, with a smirk.

"R-really…" Said Yugi quietly, taking a step back.

"Yup" said Tristan, both him and Joey slowly stepping forward. "We weren't done playing yet! Come on, just a little longer. Come here and let's play awhile"

Yugi then flung his backpack over his shoulder and darted down the hallway as fast as he could, trying to weave in and out of the traffic of the other students without causing a fuss for them. Without looking back, he ran as fast as he could, desperately trying to reach the door: the thing that could set him free – for now.

Tristan and Joey were hot on his trail, shoving anything that got in their way, chuckling to themselves and smirking widely as they ran through the halls after Yugi.

"You're just making it worse on yourself the more you run, pipsqueak!" They yelled after him, gaining on him closer every second.

Yugi finally reached the front entrance doors and burst through them, taking off towards his house. Without stopping, he ran as fast as he could, not stopping to take a breath – which eventually started to take its toll on him as he could barely breath. He slowed down and fell to his hands and knees in the middle of an empty street, panting and coughing, choking from lack of air. He held is sides and doubled over in pain, squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth, trying to bear everything. His heartbeat gradually started to slow to a normal stance as his breathing started to pace better, and he managed to lift himself up off the ground, grabbing his backpack and looking off into the distance. _Guess I finally lost them… too bad they'll be back at it tomorrow. _Yugi sighed, and started walking away down the street and heading towards his house.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yugi opened the front door to his house and slipped in, closing it and letting out a small sigh of relief. _Finally…_ He started up the stairs to his room when he heard a loud – and irritated - voice coming from above. He sighed again and kept up the stairs, dreading what awaited him at the top. As he reached the top of the stairs, he was immediately knocked back down to the last step by a large and hard hand, causing Yugi to become dizzy, and he strained himself to look back up.

As he raised his head and came back to sense, he was grabbed by his hair and dragged back up the stairs, being thrown onto the ground at the top and kicked in the sides, making him curl up and shield his head from any more attack.

"Why the hell are you home so damn late, kid?" Speared a voice that was like venom, above Yugi.

"I-I'm sorry, dad… It won't.." Yugi coughed and squinted in pain, trying to lift himself to face his steaming father hovering above him. " It won't happen again… I promise.."

His father kicked Yugi's head back down onto the ground and held it there, twisting his foot to keep his sons head in place. Yugi bit his tongue, trying to hold back a yelp of pain that was dying to be let out since the day had started.

"That's what you always say, boy. Every other day, you come home an hour late, or a half hour late, when you know you have things to do here. I swear to god, you're about as worthless as it gets." Yugi's father released his sons head from underneath his shoe and stared at him, laying on the ground, face to the floor, shaking slightly. "Get up and quit your whimpering, and go to your room for the night. Since you weren't here, I took care of your duties. Damn kid… why wasn't it you?" His father left the hallway and the staircase corridor, leaving Yugi on the floor.

_He's right… why wasn't it me… _Yugi got himself up slowly, and trudged to his room. When he got to his door, he opened it, and immediately slipped in, closed the door, and threw himself onto his bed, thrusting his face into his pillow, and sobbing. Tears flowed out of his eyes right after one another, soaking his pillowcase. _Why…. Why…. Why! _Yugi sobbed harder as he thought of his mother. His kind hearted, loving, beautiful, and dead mother. Just two years ago, Yugi, his mother, and his father had been a normal family. They did things together, talked civilly, and laughed. In fact, the time Yugi spent with his mother when she was alive were the happiest times of his entire life. Everything was fine. Perfect, almost. Until one day, everything changed.

Yugi had come home from school to find his house quiet. Usually, his mother would greet him sweetly. "Welcome home!" She'd say, smiling widely and lighting up the entire room. But not on this day… On this day, Yugi came home to complete silence. Yugi slowly walked up the stairs and into his parents room, to see the most horrifying thing he had – and ever would – lay his eyes on. There next to her bed, laid his mother, drenched in a mortifying crimson liquid, spilling from every wound inflicted upon her body into the floor, creating a large pool that spelled the end for the sweet woman who meant everything to her son. Yugi stood there, speechless and horrified, unable to move, speak, or barely breathe. She had been murdered, and Yugi wasn't even there to help her.

Yugi laid in bed, still sobbing, paying more attention to the ache inside his heart rather than the aches on his body. _If only I had been there instead of her… If only I was there to protect her… If only…. Why couldn't it have been me? I'm so tired… I'm so tired of this… I'm so tired of everything! Why! Why is my life like this! Every day… I'm bullied at school to no end. And even when I come home, I have no escape.. I'm nothing, just like my father says… I'm worthless. I can't even stand up for myself… I couldn't even be there to stand up for my mother… My own mom… I have… to get away… I have to get away from here…. _

Yugi wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. He looked over at his bedroom door, then to his window. _My dad will kill me for this… _He got up and opened his backpack, dumping all of the contents out onto the floor. He waked over to his closet and started throwing random things – mainly clothes – into his bag, and zipped it up. Yugi slung his backpack over his shoulder, then went to his window and opened it, punching out the screen on the outside of it. He took one last look at his bedroom door, and then jumped down from his sill, landing on his feet, outside his house. _I guess this is goodbye… I guess I never could truly call this home… My dad is gonna kill me… He'll kill me… if he can find me. _With that last thought, Yugi turned away from what used to be his house, took a deep breath, and headed down the street, ready to look for a new beginning. Ready to prove to himself that he wasn't so helpless. Ready to escape from the torture of everything he had endured every day for the past two years. He was ready to move on.

Aaaaaaaaand, end! Ahh. That was tough :o Should I continue? Review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, _**xx ~**_


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there! Since I got some positive feedback on the first chapter, I decided to continue with the story. And this time, I'm gonna make myself go through the whole way. (I have a bad habit of not completing things… lol) Anyway, here's chapter 2! Hope you enjoy it! _Xx ~ _

It was getting dark outside and Yugi was still walking. Still walking away from what he refused to call his home, hoping his father wouldn't come to search for him. Most likely, he wouldn't notice until morning, since whenever he sent Yugi to his room like that, he only ever came back to wake him up for school or to make him work around the house. All Yugi could think about was how completely dead he is if his father reports him as a runaway. _Let's just hope he sticks to his normal routine then…. _

As the sun started to set completely, Yugi had reached a public park, well about 6 or so miles from his house. He sat on a bench nearby and closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh. _If I'm gonna keep this up, I'm gonna have to start traveling quicker… _Yugi watched the rest of the sunset quietly thinking to himself. Although, it didn't take long for him to start shivering. He rummaged through his backpack to try and find a jacket. Surely, he had to have thrown one in there in the midst of all the rest of the random items that were shoved recklessly in. He finally found a purple cotton hoodie and smiled to himself in relief . He put it on and stood back up from the bench he had been resting on for the past half hour or so. It was getting close to curfew, and if he didn't want to be found by police and forced to be taken home, he had to find somewhere he could hide out. Yugi looked around briefly and caught glimpse of a biking trail that lead off into a large forest. _It could be dangerous… But right now, it's all I've got. _Yugi lead off onto the bike trail and head down the path, walking at a normal pace. The longer he stayed on the path, the deeper it wound into the forest.

After what seemed like hours, Yugi had gotten tired and started to feel weak. He fell to his knees slowly and took a few deep breaths. _I gotta stay awake until I can find somewhere to sleep for now… _Yugi was deep in thought until he heard some faint voices and saw a light turn in from around the path in front of him. He panicked, and looked around frantically before diving into the closest bush near him on the side of the bike path. He held his breath and stared out onto the trail, trying to keep quiet.

"Doesn't seem like anything's out here, just like always. " Said a man in uniform as he walked idly past the bush Yugi was hiding in.

"Nothing ever is. " Said another man in uniform, accompanied by the other man. Both seemed to be officers, probably out patrolling for any suspicious behavior. "This part of town is so peaceful. Nothing rarely ever happens or ever has happened, aside from that incident two years back at that household. Even before then, we rarely even had the occasional robbery."

"Yeah, I know. This is just a park, though. Not a whole lot is bound to happen anyway."

"I guess you're right."

The two officers voices got quieter and quieter until they could no longer be heard. Yugi waited a few minutes before crawling up out of the bush he was in and cautiously walked back out onto the trail. What a coincidence. They had mentioned the murder of his mother, right in front of him. A tear slipped from Yugi's eyes and just as quickly as it appeared, he wiped it away. _I don't have time to be thinking about that, let alone crying about it. _He had to keep on the trail and hope that there wasn't anyone else around. He had to focus on finding refuge for the night.

Yugi headed on the bike path for a few more hours, coming to what seemed to be a fork in the road. _Damn it… which way am I supposed to go? _He looked at each road carefully, observing what he could. One road took down the forest, which seemed to just go deeper into it. The other road looked like there was some sort of clearing down its path. _I have to make sure I stay as hidden as possible. _And with that thought, Yugi headed on down the wooded path, leaving the path with clearing long behind.

A mile or so down this wooded path lead Yugi to believe he was right about it just going deeper into the forest. _I'm willing to bet most people take the other direction. Hopefully that means I'm alone out here._ Convinced he was alone, Yugi sat on a stump to rest. It had to be well past 3 in the morning by now, the moon was shining brilliantly and the air was crisp. With nowhere to sleep, Yugi had to hurry and find somewhere soon. Thinking to himself about what he should do, he heard a nose that sounded like the cracking of sticks and leaves crunching. Yugi quickly stood up and looked around frantically.

"w-who's there..?" He called out quietly. "…Is anyone out there? Show yourself!"

Slowly, a boy who seemed to be about the same age as Yugi, with long white hair, peered out at him from behind a tree. Cautiously, he stepped out.

"H-hello…" The boy said. "Who are you? And what are you doing out here this late?"

"I could ask you the same thing. My name is Yugi. And you are…?"

"I'm Bakura. I would say it's nice to meet you, but judging by the bag and how you're kind of out here at 3 in the morning, I'm guessing you've run away?"

"How'd you know? Just by looking at those two factors…" Yugi took a small step backwards and kept his eyes readied on Bakura.

"Because I'm also a runaway." Said Bakura, lowering his head and looking away from Yugi. Yugi's eyes widened and he lowered his head too.

"I see…" He said. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you run away?"

Bakura looked back up at Yugi and then closed his eyes again.

"It's a long story, but in a nutshell, I couldn't stand to live with my parents any longer. They expect much too highly of me and the more I disappoint them, the more they let me know it. I was tired of being constantly put down, and I was tired of always feeling like I wasn't good enough for anyone. So I packed myself a bag and I left. Now, how about you?"

"Me…" Yugi looked down at the ground and spoke slowly. "well… I too, was sick of my family. Actually, just my father... You see, my mother was murdered a couple years back, and I've had to live with my dad for the past two years, dealing with constant screaming… And being hit… To make things worse, I couldn't even get away from everything at school. These two guys always pick on me… they never stop. I finally just got sick of everything, and I left. That's about it…"

Bakura was now looking dead at Yugi, with a look of sympathy in his eyes.

"wow… You have it even worse than I did. I'm sorry, Yugi."

"I'll be fine, hopefully. Thanks.."

"Have you found anywhere you can stay?"

"Nope… I just left tonight. I've been looking everywhere, but I can't find a place to barely even rest."

"I see… Well, I have a tent set up out by a stream nearby. I was out looking for wood for a fire when I stumbled upon you. You could come and stay there for the time being, if you would like." 

Yugi looked up quickly. "You mean that? I wouldn't be imposing on you, would I?"

Bakura shook his head. "Of course not. To be honest, it's been pretty lonely around here. I'm glad I found you, now hopefully I won't feel so alone… Hopefully that doesn't creep you out in any way." He chuckled.

Yugi laughed and shook his head. "Not at all. Thank you so much."

"Not any problem."

Bakura motioned for Yugi to follow him, which he did. He lead him through the forest and came to a small clearing. There in the small clearing lied a tent, just about bihg enough for the two of them. Bakura took Yugi's bag and set it inside the tent.

"I hope you're not real high strung, because you'll have to use your bag as a pillow, like I do. I haven't got any pillows, but I do have blankets. I usually sleep with both, but I'm willing to part with one to let you use it."

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Thank you Bakura. Honestly, I don't know how I could thank you enough."

"I have one idea." Said Bakura, opening up the tent again. "You could come out here and help me build a fire."

Yugi nodded and climbed out of the tent after Bakura, heading over to a long log out by the edge of the stream and and sitting on it. Bakura took a pack of matches out of his pocket and set some sticks on the ground in front of them.

"Stand here, and block any wind from blowing past while I try to light this."

Yugi did as he was told and made sure Bakura could light up the fire and get it going. He stoked it a few times and as it caught flame, he sat down and motioned for Yugi to sit next to him.

"Nice and warm huh?"

"yeah… after a whole night of walking around in the cold it's good to see some fire. And especially after years of torture, it's great to find a friendly face." Yugi smiled and turned to Bakura.

Bakura smiled back and nodded. "I'm glad you're happy to have met me. Although, there's something I have to warn you about these woods."

"What is it?"

"Wolves. And lots of them. There are quite a few packs that roam around here, and if you're not careful, you could end up being their next meal. Make sure you pay close attention, alright?"

Yugi nodded and looked out at the stream of rushing water.

"So, how long have you been out here?" He asked, turning back to Bakura.

"About 4 months. Not too long, but still, long enough."

" Ah… do you ever miss your family?"

"No, never," Bakura laughed. " It's so peaceful out here… I don't have anyone to answer to. No expectations but my own to live up to. And even those are only expected to make sure I survive."

"That's good, I guess…"

"What about you?"

"Me? Oh, I could never miss anything but my mother."

"I see… what was she like?"

"She was incredible… so kind to everyone. And always so happy. I just can't believe that a lady as sweet and good hearted as she was could have befallen such a terrible fate… It's heartbreaking to know that even if you're a good person, you're still vulnerable to the violence and cruelty of the world around you. It hurts to know that what you hate and fear so much can take the only things that matter to you…" Yugi could himself on the edge of tears again, but he forced himself to stop thinking so hard.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi…"

"It's fine… I'd rather we stop talking about it, though… If you don't mind"

Bakura nodded and looked up at the moon in the sky, surrounded by hundreds of stars. Yugi glanced at him, then gazed up at the sky along after him. Such a beautiful sight, in a world so cold, and dark. _If only everything could be this calm and beautiful…_

"Hey." Bakura looked back at Yugi.

"Yeah?"

"We should get into the tent and get some sleep. I'm sure you need your rest."

Yugi nodded and they got up to walk back into the tent. They climbed in and fashioned their beds, laying down and closing their eyes. _What a crazy day…_ Yugi thought, as he slipped into a deep sleep, relieved to be in the situation he was in now.

That took a while to type… haha. Yay, Bakura! Sorry if you found it a bit boring, this chapter was just to tie some things up and bring in new opportunities and characters. What will happen to Yugi while he lives in the forest with his new friend, Bakura? Something may happen soon, so stay tuned for next chapter. Please review! Thanks! ~ _xx ~_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3! Yaaaay! Enjoy! ~ Xoxo

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The sun shone brightly through the tent and Yugi woke up, rubbing his eyes. He took a deep breath and looked around the rest of the tent for Bakura.

"Not here…?" Yugi unzipped the entrance way and climbed out of the tent to find Bakura washing his face off in the stream. He looked up and smiled, drying his face off with a towel.

"Morning Yugi!" He called.

"Morning." Yugi replied blandly.

"Something wrong?"

"Nah… Just trying to get used to this is all."

"You'll get used to it after a while. Now come on and wash up best you can, we have work to do you know."

Yugi looked confused. "Work?"

Bakura chuckled lightly. "Yes, work. I help out at an animal shelter about a mile or so out of the woods. They pay me a little bit of money every other day, so I use it to buy things like new matches, and some food. I figured with you here, we could both work and earn some extra money for more necessities."

"Oh, right." Yugi smiled. "That sounds great."

"Alright then" Bakura smiled. "Wash up and we'll go."

'Right."

. . . . . . . .

Yugi and Bakura walked on the side of the road in town, the sun beating down hard. _How can it be so cold at night, then scorch like this in the daytime? _Yugi sighed softly as him and Bakura pushed the last few steps to work. They arrived at the shelter and a short elderly man came out smiling to greet them.

"Good morning Bakura," He greeted. "You brought a friend?"

"Yup. Solomon, this is Yugi. Yugi, this is Solomon."

"Uhm… nice to meet you" Yugi smiled nervously.

"As well as you" The old man smiled back. "So I take it you'd like a job too then?"

Without giving Yugi a chance to answer, the old man went into a room in the back and came back out holding two bags of what looked like bird feed. He handed them to Bakura and Yugi and smiled again. _Is this guy always on cloud nine constantly, or what? _Yugi thought, thinking it was a bit strange for the man to be acting to cheerful. _Other people have reasons to be happy, I guess.._

"Bakura will show you what to do. Welcome to the shelter young man!" Solomon tapped Yugi's back hard, making him stumble, and walked away, still smiling.

Bakura chuckled and motioned Yugi in his direction. "This way." Bakura lead Yugi outside to a bunch of cages. "Just grab some like this-" Bakura took a handful of feed and threw it into a cage. "And throw it like that. Simple, right?" Yugi nodded, and repeated Bakura's action.

The rest of the day, Bakura showed Yugi how he did things at the shelter. It seemed simple enough. A lot more amusing than school, Yugi had to admit. Instead of slaving over books and getting bullied all day, he walked around and played with animals. How come he didn't know about this before? Yugi was having a great time. Probably the best time he'd had in years. As it got darker, Bakura and Yugi head back into the main building to meet Solomon one more time.

"Hello boys" He greeted, of course, with a smile. He then held out two envelopes to them. "Nice work today, both of you. I put a little extra in there today, so you kids go out and get something to eat, why don't you?"

"Sure." Bakura nodded, turning to Yugi. "Sound good to you?"

Yugi nodded, not saying anything. They both thanked Solomon, and head out the door.

"So," Bakura started. "I'd say it's about 6:30 or so right now? I know a place up the street a bit we can go to that has specials for dinner times. What do you say we head on up there?"

"Sounds fine to me" Yugi smiled, and they both took off up the street. After about another twenty minutes , they arrived at what seemed to be an old fashioned diner. It looked like some sort of set for an old 50's movie, with booths and one big long bar table with stools lined up all the way to the end of it. Neon lights on the walls that said "Welcome", or "Open", and a jukebox stood on one end of the restaurant. It was different kind of feel to it, but it was nice. Bakura and Yugi sat down in an empty booth and grabbed opened the menus. The place was pretty empty as of now, except for another person in the booth behind them, so it shouldn't take too long to get their order. Bakura was right though, their dinner specials were as cheap as four dollars, and Solomon had given them more than enough for that. After they ordered their meals and took sips of their drinks, Bakura looked up at Yugi.

"So, what did you think of today?" he asked. 

"Actually… it was fun." Yugi answered. For the first time in years, he had fun.

"I'm glad you thought so" Bakura smiled, and took another sip of his soda. The two sat and talked about trivial things until their orders came. When they were both finished, they left a tip and left.

"So…" Yugi started "Back to the woods, huh?"

"Not just yet. I say we take a walk around the town for a while. How bout you?"

Yugi nodded in agreement and they walked further up the street into what looked like a shopping plaza. _I don't have the money to just spend wastefully… but I guess looking won't hurt, right? _The two looked through various shops, sometimes trying things on and acting stupid, laughing the whole time. Yugi was glad he had a friend. He hadn't had one in so long. Not since middle school, because when he entered high school, he started to get picked on a lot. Well, a lot more than before. He got bullied before, but at least he had friends before. Yugi was happier than ever at this moment he was finally with a friend. Even though they had just met the previous day, it was like him and Bakura were best friends. Maybe that's because the only people either one of them had were each other, but it didn't seem to matter.

Yugi and Bakura were laughing and goofing off as they walked into a convenient store, going to look for some snacks to bring back to the tent before they left town for the night. As they were about to check out, a tall, blonde haired, biker looking man with an American flag tied around the top of his head walked in slowly and cautiously. It seemed like Yugi was the only one aware of this mans strange aura. He didn't know why, but for some reason, this man made Yugi cringe. Yugi stared at the man until Bakura had checked their things out and they headed towards the door. _Something about that guy isn't right… _Just as Yugi was about to avert his gaze, the man reached into his back pocket and whipped out a gun, firing it into the air.

"Alright!" He screamed, making Yugi drop one of his bags in surprise. " Everybody, on the ground!" he shot the gun in the air again, then turned to Yugi and Bakura. "That means you two at the door, too! Get away from the door!" He stalked over and grabbed the two boys, throwing them onto the ground, away from the door. He trudged back into the middle of the scene, everyone in the store on the ground heeding his warning, not wanting to get shot.

The man re-loaded his gun and cleared his throat. "I want everyone, and I mean everyone, to stay where they are. Move a muscle," He shot at the ceiling again. "And that'll get aimed right at your skull. Don't believe me, try me." He turned to a random lady and shot her in the head, making everyone around gasp and an older woman start to cry as the blood pooled around the dead woman where she lied. "Just to get my point across" Said the armed man, heading over to the cash register. Yugi watched in horror at the man, shaking. _I KNEW something wasn't right. DAMN IT. _The man broke open the register, pocketing any money he found inside. He then shot at the ceiling one more time, before turning back around.

"I want everyone to stand up, come here, and throw any money you got into a pile right there in the floor." He demanded, pointing at the floor with his gun. "NOW." He then shot at the ceiling again. It was almost as if he had to fire his gun just to get a point across, either that or to install fear into everyone in the store, which wasn't necessary anymore, as he had already made a few of his hostages cry, and killed another. Everyone did as they were told, except for Yugi and Bakura, who had nothing but a few quarters in their pockets. Of course, the man noticed the two boys not doing as they were told, and without hesitation, he stomped over to them angrily.

"What about you two?" He kicked Bakura in the side as hard as he could, making Bakura yelp in pain. "Why didn't you do what you were told?" He asked, aiming his gun down at Yugi, whose eyes were now wide with fear. The man shot in between Yugi's legs, missing the left one by about an inch or less. "ANSWER ME, DAMN IT."

"W-we don't h-have any more m-money…" Yugi stuttered, eyes wide open and staring at the gun that was being aimed right at him.

"Then what's in the bag?" The man demanded, looking at the bag next to Yugi.

"Just some f-food, is all…" He kept stuttering. The man scoffed, and shot into the air again.

"So you got no money for me, then?"

"N-no…"

"Alright." The man then bent down and grabbed Yugi up by his collar, then twisting his arm tightly around his neck. "Got no money for me, then I got some other things you can do for me. Let's go then." He then held his gun to Yugi's temple, and held the hand of the arm he was holding Yugi with tightly over his mouth to ensure he wasn't going to scream. "You all better not move a damn muscle until I'm way outta here. Got that?" He screamed at the crowd, all mortified. They all nodded their heads, and with that, the man walked out of the store, dragging Yugi along with him.

"Yugi!" Bakura yelled after him, but with no use, he couldn't get up. One of his ribs must have broken when the man kicked him earlier. A woman ran over to help Bakura, as the cashier grabbed a phone and quickly dialed the police.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The gunman dragged Yugi into an alleyway, where there parked an old, beat up car. The man opened the trunk, and pushed Yugi against the wall.

"You move, you get shot." He warned. Yugi just nodded, saying nothing, eyes still wide and his body shaking. The man pulled some rope and duct tape out of his trunk and pulled Yugi to him, slamming him into the window of the backseat hard enough to hurt, but not to break the window. He forced Yugi's arms behind his back and tied them as tight as he could, making sure the knot was impossible to undo, and making sure there was no way Yugi could slip out. He then took the duct tape and taped Yugi's hands closed. After he threw the rest of the roll into his trunk, he pulled out a plain white t-shirt, and ripped it. He opened Yugi's mouth and shoved the shirt in, tying it as tightly as he could around his head, to make sure Yugi couldn't scream or speak. He picked Yugi up and threw him into the old cars trunk, slamming it shut. The man then got in the front seat, started the car, and pulled out of the alley as fast as he could. He had plans in store for this runt.

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Omg, Yugi got kidnapped. Who is his kidnapper? I'm sure you know, but do you know what he wants with Yugi? Review and wait for the next chapter to find out! Thanks for reading! ~ _xoxo _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4! I'm typing this pretty late, so bear with me. I meant to get to it earlier, but I had a lot to do. I was tempted to put it off until tomorrow, but I knew that if I did, then I probably wouldn't ever get to it. Procrastination is my biggest downfall, lol. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it! ~ xx

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Something wasn't right… Something felt unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. Yugi opened his eyes slowly, groaning groggily. Letting his eyes adjust to the light, he looked around. He found himself laying in the middle of a near empty room, only things in it were a few cardboard boxes and a rack with bottles of wine on it. _Oh yeah… some creep took off with me… great. _Yugi sighed at the memory of the man who abducted him. Last thing Yugi could remember was being thrown in a trunk. He must have passed out at some point while he was in there. Yugi tried to sit up, but quickly fell over again. He looked down to see his legs tied together, along with feeling his hands in the same situation. _Damn it… _He lay there yelling curses in his head until he heard some voices and quickly turned to look at the door. The handle rattled a bit and two men wearing some crazy biker get up walked in smirking.

"Finally awake, huh kid?" One man said, looking down at Yugi in the floor. "Good morning."

The other man chuckled, and walked over to Yugi. "So." He grabbed Yugi's collar and pulled him up to face him. "Welcome. Our boss has got some things he wants you to do. You're gonna come with us, and we'll take you to him. Sound good?" Yugi said nothing and just glared at the man. "I'll take that as a yes, then." The man picked up Yugi his legs and dragged him out the door, letting Yugi's upper body and arms drag out behind him. They went down a hallway and dragged Yugi through another door leading into a much larger room than the one Yugi had been in before. The man dragging him lifted him up over his shoulder then grabbed hold of his hair, slamming his head down onto a table and making him kneel down onto the floor. Yugi gritted his teeth and slowly looked up to see his abductor sitting in a chair across the other side of the table, smirking at him with his hands folded.

"Welcome, runt." The man said. "I'm willing to bet you're wondering just what's going on, right? Don't answer, I already know you'll say yes. The name's Keith. Bandit Keith, if you will." He leaned forward. "And guess what, kid? I got a lot in store for you."

"Why…" Yugi began. "Why did you take me here?" Just as soon as he finished that one small question, the man behind him grabbed Yugi's hair, pulled his head up, then slammed his head back onto the table. Yugi let out a yelp of pain and glared up at the man, then back at Keith before wincing.

"You'll talk when I tell you to talk, got that?" Said Keith, smirking across the table. "Now tell me, what's your name boy? Now, you speak."

"Yugi.." Yugi said quietly.

"Yugi. It's nice to meet you, kid."

"Like hell.." Yugi mumbled, then getting his head slammed down again, causing him to wince.

"Disrespectful, are we? You know how I handle disrespect, pipsqueak?" Keith stood up and pulled a switchblade from his pocket, grabbing Yugi and spinning him around to face him, holding the blade to Yugi's neck. "Just like this." Keith slowly cut Yugi's skin lightly, just enough to make him bleed. Yugi winced and gritted his teeth hard at the pain seething in his neck. "Disrespect me one more time, boy. I dare you." Keith pulled Yugi's face to his, and smirked. "Now listen. I got a job for ya." He threw Yugi on the floor and stepped on his neck to hold him in place. "You're gonna be my bait, boy. I got a hoist planned out for tonight, and you'll make the perfect hostage. A cute kid like you has gotta catch the publics eye, don't you think?"

_What the hell is this guy talking about?_

"Here's how it's gonna go. Me and you are gonna take a little drive to the bank. You're gonna stay put in the car while I go in. I'm gonna do what I have to, and that's that. Got it?"

_What the hell…? Why would he need me for something as simple as that..? What's this guy really going to do to me? That can't be all there is to it. These guys have smacked my head against things quite a bit, but not enough to affect the part of my brain that knows shits up… _

"Got it.."

"Good. Now let's go. Bring him along."

Keith's henchmen grabbed Yugi and carried him outside into the parking lot of what looked like an abandoned bar. _Oh, great. Alcoholics. _They opened the door to a car and threw Yugi in the front seat, still tied up. Keith got in on the drivers side and started the car, then gave his henchmen a thumbs up and a smirk before peeling out of the parking lot.

As Keith and Yugi were driving down the highway, Yugi hung his head down and closed his eyes. _How did I get myself into this mess… _

"What's up, kid? You got somethin' you wanna share?"

"No.. it's nothing."

"Don't act like I'm stupid, runt. Lemme guess, you're scared aren't you?"

Yugi nodded slowly and Keith laughed.

"Good. You should be."

A few more miles down, Keith pulled into the parking lot of a huge bank that seemed to be made entirely of glass. It near scraped the sky. Keith rolled up next to the front entrance and turned the car off, turning to Yugi.

"Alright, listen brat. Stay put. You even try to get out, not that you could being all tied up, and you'll regret it, I promise you." Having said that, Keith got out of the car, locked it, and went into the enormous building.

Keith walked through the rotating doors of the bank and got in a line that formed all the way up to the counter. He got cautious glances from several people, probably due to his appearance. Perhaps being a little judgmental was a good thing. At least they had an idea of what was going to come to them. As Keith advanced forward in the line, he took a look around to observe his surroundings. There were security guards everywhere, each of them staring him down intently. Perfect. After about twenty minutes or so, Keith was at the front of the line.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A lady from behind the counter asked with a sweet smile.

"Well…" Keith reached into his pocket and whipped out the same gun he had used to rob the store the night prior to now and pointed it at the woman, who was now shocked and wide eyed at the man before her. "You can give me all the money you got in this place, that's how you can help me. And if anyone," he pointed the gun around to everyone else "wants to stop me, I'd like to see them try without somebody getting hurt."

The security guards started to run towards Keith as he pulled out a remote from a pocket inside his coat. "Ah ah ah" he taunted. "See this button?" he held out the remote to the security guards. There was a small red button along with a few other switches on the remote. "And you see that car out there in front?" he pointed out to his car, Yugi still sitting in it. "One more step, and I press it. Sending that car bursting into flames, and that precious little boy burning alive with it. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Keith looked around and smirked, seeing everyone's faces in full shock and horror. "Didn't think so. Now. The money. Hurry up, don't be slow."

The woman behind the counter quickly did as she was told, opening the vault behind her and unloading money as fast as she could, rushing over and handing it to Keith. Obviously he couldn't take everything they had, he could only take what he could carry on his person. That would still give him a hefty amount of cash, though. Enough for Keith, anyway. Shoving as much cash as he could into his pockets and holding a few stacks of money in his arms, Keith took a few steps back from the counter. He fired his gun into the air, just like he had at the convenience store.

"Thanks for the loot." He smirked and headed out the door, ran to his car, unlocked opened the door, and threw the money he had obtained in the backseat. He quickly started the car and peeled out of the parking lot as fast as he could, sending Yugi's flying against his seat in recoil.

"HAHAHA! That was great. You really do make the perfect bait, kid. I gotta hand it to you." Keith laughed loudly and sped down the highway. Yugi just narrowed his eyes and stared out the window with a scowl on his face. The sudden roaring of sirens and the gleam of flashing blue and red lights didn't take its time catching both Keith and Yugi's attention, though. After just five or so minutes, there were at least three police cars hot on their trail. Keith scowled as he looked in his rearview mirror and he yelled.

"AGGGHHHH! DAMN COPS. Already on me! Shit.." He took a sharp turn off an exit and sped up. The police were fast after them, but Keith was determined to lose them, even if it killed him, and Yugi. Not far ahead, there were more flashing lights to be seen.

"You gotta be kidding me." Keith's eyes widened at what looked like a road block up ahead. "Have to give these cops credit, they don't dick around." Keith chuckled to himself, and then started roaring in laughter. Yugi looked at him, confused until Keith spun the steering wheel around and lunged the car off sideways, busting through a wooden fence of a house in a neighborhood off to the side of the highway. "You won't catch me that easily!"

Yugi closed his eyes tight, wishing he had something to hold onto. All this thrashing around was beginning to take its toll on him. He could feel himself ready to slip out of consciousness, which he did immediately as Keith hit one more corner, and ugi's body fell limp, his mind whirling.

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Yugi woke up in another unfamiliar surrounding, trying to regain full consciousness. He blinked a few times, then realized that he was in the back of an ambulance, hooked up to an IV. _How did I end up here? _A man in white noticed Yugi awake, and spoke to him.

"You're awake. You're a trooper, that's for sure."

"What happened…?"

"That madman you were with crashed. Hard. Both of you pulled through alright, but you without a seatbelt or any restraints… You took a pretty hard bust. We managed to keep you, though. The man was arrested and he's probably being processed right about now. How you feeling?"

Yugi took a second to take all this in. _He crashed… and I passed out? What'd he crash into? Just a wooden fence couldn't have done that much damage. Oh well… _

"I guess I'm feeling fine. Bit of a headache, but otherwise, I'm feeling ok."

The man smiled. "That's good to hear. We're about to pull into the hospital now, so bear with us while we try to escort you to your room. You just sit tight."

Just as the man said, Yugi was escorted to a hospital room and settled in. His room was dull, not a whole lot of decoration besides a painting of some flowers hanging on the wall, a small tree in a corner of the room, and some curtains hanging from the window. There was a television hanging on the wall with a remote sitting on a small table next to Yugi's bed, so at least he had something to do. _Just how am I going to be able to pay for this bill, though… I don't have any money. And what about Bakura? What happened to him? I hope he's alright. And I hope he isn't worried about me… _

While Yugi was deep in his thoughts worrying about Bakura and the expense of being in the hospital, a nurse came in the room, accompanied by what seemed to be a police officer.

"Hey kiddo." The officer greeted. "How's it going?"

"Fine, I suppose." Yugi was curious as to why this man came to see him.

"I got a few questions for you. Think you can answer them for me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Ok then. You got a name, son?"

"Yugi Moto.."

The officer wrote down Yugi's name in a small notepad, then turned back to him.

"Where were you when this man you were with kidnapped you?"

Yugi took the next few minutes to carefully tell the officer about what happened. He told him about the convenience store, and the abandoned bar, even the henchmen. He told him about the bank incident and the insane car ride too. The officer kept nodding and writing things in his notebook.

"One last question, Yugi."

"Yeah?"

"Where do you live at? And do your parents have a number I can reach them by?"

At that question, Yugi froze. This officer needed his address and to reach his dad. _But… I ran away… I can't give this man any of that information… What am I supposed to say? _

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What is Yugi going to tell the officer? And what about Bakura, and the expenses? Wait for the next chapter, and please review! Thank you for reading! ~ _xoxo _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five! Woohoo! Again, I'm typing this up pretty late so yeah. Sorry for the late update by the way. I just didn't have a lot of time last night. Anyway, here it is, and I hope you enjoy it! ~ xx

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"Hello? Yugi.." The officer next to Yugi was still awaiting an answer. Yugi just sat there, trying to figure out what to say.

"Um… well…. Our phones are out of service at home right now… A-and my parents don't have cell phones, so I'm not real sure how you could reach them…" Yugi managed to get out, giving a small sigh of relief after saying it.

"I see… That's too bad. What about your address then?" Yugi immediately froze up again, trying to muster up an answer for the man.

"U-um… uh… my address…"

"Yes, your address… Is there something wrong, son?"

"N-no! Not… at all… I just uh, I… um…"

"Yes…?"

Yugi was starting to panic. He needed to quit stuttering and think of something quick, before the man got suspicious.

"Well," Yugi started. "I just moved here a couple weeks ago, and I still haven't exactly memorized my address… Sorry…"

"Oh. Well… Alright then. Sorry to take so much of your time. Thank you for letting me speak to you." The man smiled and closed his notepad. Yugi nodded and smiled at the officer, watching him until he left the room. After the officer exited the door, the nurse behind him moved to the table next to Yugi.

"Hi, hon." She smiled. "You doing ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"That's good. Listen, sweety. There's a button on the side of your bed, just right here." She showed Yugi the button then looked back up at him. "You just hit that button if you need anything at all, and someone will be up to get you what you need. Sound good?"

"Yes, sounds great. Thank you."

"Anytime, hon. You get some rest, now."

"I will."

"Alright sweety." The nurse smiled. "I'll leave you to it then."

Yugi smiled and watched as the nurse left the room, closing the door. _Never in my life have I been called so many odd names in one sitting… At least she's nice. _Yugi leaned back and rested his head on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling. _Poor Bakura… I wonder how he's doing… _Yugi laid there thinking and worrying about Bakura for a while, until his eyes started to feel heavy. He closed them, and slipped away out of consciousness, into a deep and comfortable sleep.

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_What's going on…. Where am I? What is this place…. I can't… get out… What the hell is going on…? "Hello!" …. "Can anyone hear me?" I'm alone… I'm always alone… All the time… every day… _

Yugi woke up with a tear rolling down his cheek. He let it drop off onto his pillow, then wiped away the wet trail it left behind on his face. He had been dreaming. _Figures… As soon as I think I found a new friend, I'm taken away from him… When I leave this hospital… I'll be alone again… _Yugi decided he couldn't do anything about it, and closed his eyes again, falling back asleep.

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Yugi walked down the steps from the hospital and down the sidewalk. After a few days being in there, he was able to leave. Thank god. He decided he was going to look for Bakura. Yugi headed in the direction of the woods, in high hopes.

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Sorry for such a short chapter, I'm sort of pressed for some things. I promise a much longer chapter next time! I also promise to keep that promise xD I got the next chapter planned out, so review and wait til then! Thank you for reading! :) ~ _xoxo_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6! Yay! Again, I'm sorry for another late update. I know I said I had the chapter planned out, and I did – but then writers block got to me and I wasn't sure how to execute my ideas like I had first imagined. I did promise a longer chapter, and I've stuck to that promise! Here it is – I hope you enjoy it! ~ _xx_

ps- I totally typed this up while listening to a Zelda soundtrack. And yes, I felt epic while doing it.

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The sun was high in the sky and the city was bustling. Everything seemed normal. Except for Yugi. Everyone else was going on with their lives, just as simple as ever. But not Yugi. He still had to find Bakura. And even worse, he was all the way on the other side of the town from the woods where he should be looking. _Damn Keith… Just one damned obstacle in my way of finding happiness, wasn't he? _Trying to shake off the thought of Keith and the anger he had built up against the guy, Yugi sighed and head off, willing himself to get across town, hoping that when he got there, Bakura will be where the tent was. Hopefully, the tent will still be there too. _This is gonna suck if Bakura decided to up and move camp. _

It had to be getting late in the day. Yugi had been walking for what seemed like hours. The sun was in another part of the sky, too. Yugi wiped the sweat from his brow and kept on pushing.

Yugi took a turn around the corner of a building and spotted the entrance to a park. _The woods… I bet I can find my way from here. There has to be a trail leading into the forest from the park. _Yugi ran to the park and looked around. Sure enough, there was a trail Yugi followed it, and as sure as there was a trail, it lead to the forest. _Yes! _Yugi cheered to himself. Running off the trail and into the forest, Yugi took off to find Bakura.

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Yugi had been walking for what seemed like another half an hour or so. He was tired, and needed to rest. He was starting to wonder if he had somehow gotten lost. He thought he was going the right way, but he wasn't sure. Yugi sat down on a fallen tree trunk and took a deep breath. He had to find Bakura, even if it killed him. He was determined. Yugi closed his eyes and listened to the area around him. He thought he heard what sounded like rushing water. Rushing water had to mean there was a stream nearby. Bakura set up his tent near a stream! _All I have to do is find that stream and follow it upwards… _Yugi got up and darted off in the direction where the sounds of the sream were coming from. Sure enough in no time, Yugi came to the stream. To his surprise, he also came to the tent. _Who knew it was so close by? But where is Bakura…? _

"Bakura?" Yugi called. "Are you out here? Hello?"

No use. It seemed Bakura wasn't there. _He must be working. _Yugi decided to stay there and wait until he came back. He sat down next to the makeshift fire pit and waited patiently.

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The sun was starting to set and Bakura still hadn't returned. _I hope he's ok… _There was some rustling in the bushes and trees near the tent, and Yugi looked up cautiously. Yugi was about to ask who was there, but before he could open his mouth to speak, someone stepped out and into the clearing.

"Yugi? Is that you?"

"Bakura!" Yugi ran up to Bakura and hugged him tightly. "You're ok! I'm so glad."

"I'm surprised to see you. You disappeared for days, I thought maybe that ruffian had killed you."

"No, he didn't. He was caught, and I was put in the hospital for a bit, but I'm here now."

"I see. Solomon was starting to worry about you as well. I told him what happened."

"I was just as worried as you were… Anyway, I'm glad everything is ok."

"Yes." Bakura smiled. "Since it's late, what do you say we start a fire and sit for a while?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Great." Bakura smiled and went to the fire pit with his matches. After he had started a flame and gotten the fire going, Yugi joined him. The sun had set completely and the two were silent. They didn't say much the rest of the night, although they weren't uncomfortable with the silence. They were glad to be in each others company.

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When Yugi awoke the next morning, Bakura wasn't in the tent nor was he around the tent. _He must have gone to work… Maybe I should go too. _Yugi washed up in the stream then head off to see if Bakura had gone to work.

When he arrived at the animal shelter, he found a sign on the door that said "closed". _Closed? Then where the hell is Bakura? _Yugi took off down the street to keep on looking. He had to be around somewhere. Yugi ran up and down streets, through stores, and back in alleys, not finding Bakura anywhere. He was about to give up when he caught a glimpse of long white hair enter into an alley from around the corner.

"Bakura!" Yugi took off after him and darted down the alleyway calling his name. "Bakura! Bakura! Bakura, did you come in here?"

Suddenly, somebody started snickering from behind Yugi. He spun around to see a taller man with wild sheep-white hair, spiky and untamed. He wore a black tanktop and tan pants, along with a bunch of gold jewelry. He approached Yugi slowly, chuckling.

"Hey kid." The man sniggered. "What do you think you're doing back here?"

"I'm… Just looking for my friend… is all. You wouldn't have happened to see a kid with long white hair come back here, would you?"

"Hmmm…. You know, come to think of it, I think I have seen a kid with long white hair come back here. Follow me, and I'll show you where he went."

"Really? Wow, thank you so much." Yugi followed the man down the alley a little ways farther back until they came to a door on the back of a large building. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, could I have your name?"

"My name is Marik. It's nice to meet you… Yugi."

Yugi's eyes widened and he took a step back.

"How do you know my name…?"

Marik started sniggering, which soon turn into an uproar of laughter. Yugi clenched his fists and glared his view at Marik, whose laughter still hadn't died down.

"What the hell is going on?" Yugi questioned. Just as Yugi spat out his question, a boy with long white hair stepped out into the alleyway from the door behind Yugi. He turned around, and his eyes widened, mouth dropping. "B-Bakura? What..?"

"I'm sorry I have to do this Yugi… But I have no choice. You'll have to come with Marik and I."

"What are you talking about, Bakura? What's going on! Why are you acting like this…?"

Bakura said nothing. He turned and started towards the door, opening it, then turning back to Marik. Marik grabbed Yugi, and forced his arms behind his back, covering his mouth with his hand, making sure Yugi couldn't scream. He pushed Yugi along through the door, and Bakura shut it. Just as Marik let Yugi go, he was hit over the head, and knocked unconscious.

"Well done, Marik."

"Not a problem, Bakura." The two laughed, and dragged Yugi through the building they had brought him into, tying him to a chair and binding his legs together.

"You think we should wake him now?" Said Marik, looking down at a seemingly lifeless Yugi.

"No… wait for him to come to. We can proceed from there." Bakura leaned down next to Yugi and lifted his chin. "Poor kid. Shouldn't have ever come into contact with me, it's too bad. They never did catch the crook who murdered your mother."

With that, Bakura sniggered and let Yugi's head fall again.

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Yay Yami Marik and Yami Bakura! YamiHeart asked earlier on if it was Ryo or Yami Bakura. He was originally going to be Ryo Bakura, but thanks to their question, it sparked inspiration to make him something so much more. (I figured I'd throw in a plot twist, bwahaha) Thank you for that, haha :] Still a big thanks to YamiHeart for reviewing so much, I really appreciate it! How does Bakura know that they never caught Yugi's mothers' murderer? Find out next chapter – and thanks for reading! ~ _xoxo_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7! Yay! Only a couple chapters left. I'm sooo sorry for such a late update. It's been days. I've been sick, and on top of that, finals are coming up in a couple days, so I've been busy with that. Not very fun, by the way. Also, another thing. I am a puzzleshipper, but unfortunately this story is just about Yugi. I'm sorry to disappoint :( I was however planning a new fic and including Yami, so we'll see where that goes, in time :) Anyway, here's chapter 7. Enjoy! ~ _xx _

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It was quiet, and Yugi groggily opened his eyes. He found himself sitting, tied to a chair. Getting confused, he took a look at his surroundings. He was in a room with stone walls and wooden floors. There was a table in the middle of the room, which Yugi was sitting at. A light suspended over the table from the ceiling. It looked like some sort of interrogation room for mob members. _What the hell…? _There was some mumbling coming from outside the door, and Yugi turned his attention to it. After the rattling of the doorknob, two guys stepped into the room. Marik and Bakura.

"Bakura?" Yugi's eyes shot wide open and he struggled with his ties. "What's going on?"

Bakura sniggered and walked over to Yugi, standing next to him.

"What do you mean, Yugi?"

"Don't act like that, you know exactly what I mean.'

"You mean, why are you tied up in this room?"

"Obviously."

Bakura laughed at that.

"Well, Yugi. You see, it's a bit of a long story."

"It looks like I have time, have at it."

"Very well then." Bakura cleared his throat. "When I met you, Yugi, I didn't have the slightest clue who you were and where you came from. At first, you seemed like a nice kid. I took you back to my tent with me, after all. You give a good first impression. But when I asked about why you ran away, and I asked about your background, you told me something interesting."

"And what would that be?'

"You said that your mother had been murdered two years ago."

Yugi's eyes widened again and he glared at Bakura.

"And…?"

"And they never did catch her killer, did they?"

"No… Wait a minute…" Yugi felt his heart stop. "Bakura… How do you know that? How could you know that they never found my mothers killer…"

"Hm?"

"My mom… and her killer… I never told you that they never caught the suspect…. So how… How could you possibly know that?"

"You're a smart boy, figure it out." Bakura smirked and looked at Yugi out of the corner of his eye. Yugi sat in shock, his heart racing.

"I…. No. You didn't… That's impossible…"

"Is it impossible, Yugi?"

"You…. You…. Bakura, it was you…?" A tear ran down Yugi's face, soon followed by others. He couldn't believe what was going on. There was no way. He wouldn't believe it. It was just too improbable. Bakura burst into a roaring laughter, cackling like a madman.

"See, I told ya you were a smart boy, and look at that, you figured it out on your own."

"But why…. Why did you do it!"

"Why did I do what?"

"Don't… don't make me say it, Bakura…"

"If you don't say it then I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I won't…"

"Say it Yugi. Just ask me."

"I can't…"

"SAY IT."

"WHY DID YOU KILL MY MOTHER!" Yugi screamed and closed his eyes, tears slipping out of them as he closed them. Even as they were shut, they wouldn't stop overflowing from his sockets, as if someone were just pouring water into them and forgot to stop. He couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe that all this time, it had been the nice, caring, generous Bakura - or so he thought. All this time, it had been Bakura. It was Bakura who took his mom away from him. It was Bakura who had taken away his reason to be happy. It was Bakura who made his father go insane, and made his father hit him, and made his life a living hell. All this time, it had been Bakura who took any chance he had at living a normal life. And now, his mothers killer was standing right in front of him. Right before his eyes was the person who ruined everything. Yugi felt disgusted at how Bakura had treated him like he was a friend. And disgusted at how he had thought of Bakura as a friend.

"It was you… all this time, it was you…"

"Yes, that's right, it was me." Bakura laughed.

"But why did you do it?"

"Why? That's simple. I did it because I could."

As soon as Bakura said that, Yugi felt a stinging in the pit of his stomach,. Those words made him sick, so nauseas he thought he would just pass out right then and there. He killed his mother… just because he could. _What sort of sick son of a bitch would kill just to do it?_ It made no sense. It made no sense at all.

"You're sick…. You're fucking insane."

"What was that?" Bakura reached out and slapped Yugi so hard that he fell, along with the chair that landed on top of him. "You might want to watch what you say to me. After all, you're at my mercy right now. And if you think I wouldn't kill again, you're sadly mistaken Yugi."

"Tell me something… If you killed my mom, then why didn't you kill my dad? Or me?"

"That's also a simple answer. Neither of you were home. That's it."

"I see… so if we were all home, you would have done away with all of us? Is that it?"

"Precisely. Such a smart boy, aren't you?"

"Bakura…"

"Yes?"

"Tell me one more thing…"

"Hm?"

"Now that I know… that you were the one who killed my mom. You don't plan on letting me know for much longer, am I right?"

Bakura smirked and looked at Marik, who had been standing in the room quietly as everything was going on. Marik nodded, and picked Yugi back up from the floor, sitting him in front of the table again. Bakura took hold of Yugi's chin and titled it towards him, looking into his terrified and pained amethyst eyes.

"You really do catch on quickly."

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Oh snap. How's that for a plot twist? ;o haha, everything is starting to unfold now. I hope you guys know what they mean, it should be pretty obvious xP But will Bakura really do it? Please review and thanks for reading! Also, thank you for being patient with me. I'll try to fit a new chapter in real soon in between my studying. Until next time then! _~ xoxo _


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8! Woot! I managed to update quicker this time! I also managed to start a new story, it's called "My Apprentice", so if you'd like, go check it out :] I feel accomplished for actually finishing two things today regarding FF, so yeah xD This story only has a couple chapters left, so I hope you enjoy them! Here's chapter 8 ~ _xx _

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Yugi glared at Bakura, who was chuckling loudly at him.

"Well, Bakura? What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to kill me just like you did with my mom? Why the hesitation?" Yugi spat out angrily, keeping an eye on Bakura.

"Would you rather I killed you now?"

"Well why not? If it's going to happen, it might as well happen now."

"You don't seem to understand me, Yugi. You should have realized by now that I obviously enjoy toying with my victims. Why else would I keep you alive for so long after I knew you were my previous victims' son? It was just too good to watch you suffer. Why do you think I just stood by and watched that biker thug kidnap you? Obviously, I enjoy watching you squirm. Don't you see that it's FUN to see you in so much pain. I enjoy every last bit of your anguish and despair. It's like sweet nectar to my ears and eyes to watch you and listen to you go through all of this, all alone. What's better is that you're so helpless you can't even defend yourself, which has to make you squirm even more. What a game this is. This is truly… exhilarating."

"You're a monster…"

"Am I? Or am I just one of those people who likes to have a good time more than anything else?"

"How the hell do you call this a good time! How can any normal fucking human being find ANY of this fun! You're not human, you're a monster! That's why you enjoy this kind of sadistic inhumane torture!"

"Somebody's feisty." Bakura roared in laughter. "Perhaps I should give you a chance to let your anger out. Let's see what you've got, runt. Marik, untie him."

Marik did as he was told, walking over to Yugi and untying him from the chair he was strapped to. Confused, Yugi glared at Bakura once more.

"What are you planning…?"

"What else would I be planning? A fight. If you're so angry at me then maybe you should just show me. Go ahead, Yugi. Lunge at me with all you've got. Try to kill me just like I did your poor mother. Unless you're scared, or too weak."

"I can't…" Yugi clenched his fists and hung his head to look at the floor. "Even though… I hate you with everything I have. Even though I'll never forgive you, or lift my hold on the grudge you've created for yourself… I can't kill. I won't kill. I won't be a monster like you!"

"So you're refusing to fight me, is that it? You're just scared, aren't you?"

"No… I'm not scared… I'm sick of being scared. Ever since you took away the only thing that gave me confidence, I've always been _scared. _When my dad beat me, or when Joey and Tristan tormented me… I was always _scared. _Why do you think I ran away in the first place…. I was SCARED. I was sick of everything! Especially of being so damn scared and tiny and weak and fucking helpless that I could never do anything, or get anywhere! I'm not SCARED anymore. And I'm especially not scared of you. That's all you want, is to play games and frighten people. Well guess what, Bakura? I'm not going to play into your game anymore. You're through with playing your sick twisted games."

It was silent for a few moments, until Bakura burst into a full fledged fit of laughter, almost falling on the ground.

"So that's it then!" Bakura cackled. "You think that with a little bit of your new-found so-called 'courage' that you're not going to fight, _and _you're going to get away? You crack me up, Yugi. You really do."

"Who ever said I planned on getting away…. I said what I needed to say."

"You're going to give up then? Where's the fun in that?"

Yugi sighed, and kept his gaze at the floor. "Exactly. If I give up now, you don't get to play your psychotic game. You lose."

Bakura stopped laughing at Yugi's words, as if he had finally begun to take this situation seriously. He replaced his crazed smirks and cackles with a glare and a growl. He walked over to Yugi and pulled him up by his collar, making him look at him.

"I… what? Care to repeat that?"

Yugi returned Bakura's glare and stayed otherwise emotionless.

"You heard me. You lose."

Bakura yelled out in anger and threw Yugi against the wall, causing his head to smack against it the hardest. Yugi gritted his teeth in pain and tried to lift himself up. Before he could manage to do it, he was picked up and slammed onto the table, even harder than he had been thrown against the wall.

"You've got some nerve, kid!" Bakura punched Yugi in the face repeatedly, making him bleed. He finally stopped hitting and grabbed Yugi's collar, forcing them to face each other. "If you want me to stop, just make me. You know you could always fight back."

"I won't…" Yugi muttered out in pain. "I can't kill anyone."

"Then at least fight back enough to escape. Come on, try _something._ You're boring the hell out of me, brat."

"Sorry… you're just gonna have to be bored then. I'm not here to entertain you."

Bakura dropped Yugi onto the floor and kicked him in his sides. Yugi grunted out in pain and started breathing heavily. He hadn't felt pain this bad since he ran away. The more Bakura continued to hit him, the more he started to wonder if maybe, just this once, Bakura was right. Maybe he should fight back. If Yugi wanted to become stronger, and truly save himself from the helpless excuse for a boy he was before, he had to do something to prove it. Just letting some psycho wasn't going to prove anything. _This guy is going to be a psycho no matter what I do… So why not… just… do something? _Yugi's eyes shot open again, surprised at his own thoughts. He had to be crazy to be thinking like that, he could never hurt anyone, psycho or not…. But what if it meant his survival?

Just as Bakura was about to kick Yugi one more time, Yugi rolled out of the way and leaped up off the ground, again surprising himself. It also seemed to startle Bakura, who looked taken back by Yugi's sudden actions. He started to laugh again, making Yugi glare. Marik was about to lunge after Yugi, but Bakura stopped him.

"Down, Marik. He finally seems to have come around. Let me have my fun."

Marik just obeyed and stood back to watch as Bakura lunged at Yugi himself, missing as Yugi ducked out of the way and picked up the chair that had previously held him captive. Biting his lip, Yugi whipped the chair around and busted it over the top of Bakura's head, knocking the white haired nutcase unconscious. Shocked at himself, Yugi dropped the broken bits of the chair he had left in his hands and widened his eyes at Bakura, who was now laying silently on the floor. _Why did I just do that! I told myself I wouldn't hurt anybody! _

"You've done it now, kid. Since he's down and out for the count, let ME try!" Marik lunged at Yugi, who just barely managed to duck out of the way, slipping himself out the door. The door led to a hallway, at the end of which was a larger door with light shining through it. _If I can manage to get out there…. _

Yugi took a bolt for the end of the hallway, running as fast as he could, his heart racing.

"Get back here!" Marik's voice boomed from behind Yugi., making him dart faster. Yugi was running out of breath, but the door was just right in front of him. When he reached the door, he shoved it open and took off down the alleyway it led to.

Yugi didn't stop running, even after he couldn't here Marik's calls anymore. The alley seemed like a maze, but he knew he couldn't stop. He had to keep on running, no matter where the alley took him, anywhere away from his captors would be fine with him.

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Aaaaaand, he escaped! Yeah, I didn't actually plan on killing Yugi. I might enjoy torturing him, but I wouldn't kill him. He's too cute to kill xD Anyway, who knew Yugi had it in him to crack a chair over someone's head? Namely Bakura? Will Yugi be able to get away and be safe? Find out in the next chapter. Please review and thanks for reading! ~ _xoxo _


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